Enrichment · Passion Projects

Letting an object go,
on the record.

Small museums, historical societies and school archives all eventually hold things they cannot keep: duplicates, damaged pieces, gifts far outside the mission. Removing them is normal and healthy when it is done openly and written down. Log each object, its title and restrictions, the approvals and how it will leave.

Add an objectWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Passion projects kit, $39 for 34 items.

Your objects

The worked example is made up: a duplicate churn approved for transfer, and a portrait given in 2024 proposed for sale with the board vote pending. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Passion Projects$12

What you finish with
A record per object: accession number, object, reason, date it came in, proof of title, donor restrictions, estimated value, disposal method, each approval with its date and decision, and nine documentation steps. Counts steps done and years since the gift; flags NAGPRA items, claims, missing title, restrictions, sale proceeds and insider rules, IRS Form 8282 within three years and a missing board vote.
Who it is for
Volunteers and staff of small museums, historical societies, libraries and school or club archives.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per object. Prints one object’s record, every object in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Passion projects kit ($39) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the object with its accession number and reason.
  2. Check title and any donor restrictions in the file.
  3. Record each recommendation and approval.
  4. Work through the documentation steps.
  5. Keep the printed record with the accession file.

Add an object

Six steps

From proposal to permanent record1PolicyDoes the written collectionspolicy allow it2ResearchTitle, provenance, donorrestrictions3RecommendThe curator writes why, withphotos4ApproveA board vote, in the minutes5DisposeTransfer first; sale openly,never to insiders6RecordMark it deaccessioned and keepthe fileFrom proposal to permanent record1PolicyDoes the written collections policyallow it2ResearchTitle, provenance, donor restrictions3RecommendThe curator writes why, with photos4ApproveA board vote, in the minutes5DisposeTransfer first; sale openly, never toinsiders6RecordMark it deaccessioned and keep the file
A deaccession is judged later by its paperwork. The file should let a stranger see what left, why, who approved it and where it went.

Transfer first

Many policies prefer offering an object to another public institution, ideally one nearby or one where it fits the mission, before any sale. It keeps the object in public hands and is the easiest decision to defend.

If the gift was recent

When a donor claimed a deduction over $5,000 on Form 8283 and the museum signed it, disposing of the object within three years means filing Form 8282 with the IRS. Check the accession file for a signed 8283.

Sources

  1. American Alliance of Museums. Direct care of collections: ethics, guidelines and recommendations (2019) and Code of Ethics for Museums (aam-us.org).
  2. Association of Art Museum Directors. Policy on Deaccessioning (aamd.org).
  3. Malaro, M. C., and DeAngelis, I. P. (2012). A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections (3rd ed.). Smithsonian Books.
  4. Internal Revenue Service. Form 8282, Donee Information Return, and instructions (irs.gov).
  5. National Park Service. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq. (nps.gov/nagpra).

The worked examples are made up. This organizer follows widely used museum standards in general terms; your own collections policy, the deed of gift and your state’s law govern. Not legal or tax advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.